● Covered by 2 sources · 4 reportsMedium impact4 neutral
Fenix Flexin's "Rubberz" Reaches Billboard Hot 100 Amidst AI Generation Claims
Key points
- "Rubberz" by Fenix Flexin reached No. 58 on Billboard Hot 100.
- The song has over 35 million streams on Spotify.
- Treblo's AI Music Classifier identified "Rubberz" as "very likely Treblo."
- Flexin initially denied AI use, then claimed he never denied it.
- The song's style differs from Flexin's previous work.
Billboard Success and AI Speculation
Fenix Flexin, known for his work with Shoreline Mafia, achieved solo success with his track "Rubberz," which climbed to number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has also garnered over 35 million streams on Spotify since its release in June.
However, the song's rapid ascent was accompanied by questions regarding its creation, with many speculating that it was largely or entirely generated by artificial intelligence. This speculation arose from the song's stylistic departure from Flexin's previous trap-influenced West Coast rap, adopting an '80s UK synth-pop sound with a vocal melody compared to Morrissey.
Detection by Treblo AI Music Classifier
Further fueling the debate, the AI music generation company Treblo released an open-source detection tool, the Treblo AI Music Classifier. This tool is designed to identify music generated using Treblo's models.
The Classifier determined that "Rubberz" was "very likely Treblo" with "high confidence." Treblo CEO Ryan Tremblay stated that the classifier returned a high probability score, suggesting the audio was almost entirely generated by their model, potentially making it the first known AI-generated song to reach the Billboard Hot 100.
Fenix Flexin's Evolving Stance
Fenix Flexin initially denied using AI for "Rubberz," stating in an interview that there was "no AI on it." However, his stance has since shifted.
In a later Instagram comment, Flexin stated, "never said I didn’t use AI, i said it had nun to do w recording process. I didn’t even know what da app was till we mixed it and erbody started commenting." This comment suggests he was unaware of the AI tool's involvement until after the mixing process.
Implications for the Music Industry
The situation with "Rubberz" highlights the increasing presence of AI in music production and the challenges in identifying AI-generated content. The song's success on a major chart like the Billboard Hot 100 brings the discussion of AI's role in creative fields to a wider audience.
The debate also underscores the evolving capabilities of AI tools and the potential for artists to incorporate new technologies into their creative processes, even if the extent of that incorporation becomes a point of public discussion.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Rapper Fenix Flexin admitted to using AI to create his song "Rubberz," which reached No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnered over 35 million Spotify streams. This admission followed accusations and a demonstration by indie DJ-producer Medasin using the generative music tool Treblo, highlighting the increasing presence and detection of AI-generated content in mainstream music.
Rapper Fenix Flexin has changed his stance on the use of AI in his song "Rubberz," now stating he never denied its use, despite previous public statements to the contrary. This follows claims from producer Medasin and an AI detector identifying the song as AI-created by Treblo.
Treblo, an AI music generation company, released an open-source detection tool that identified Fenix Flexin's song "Rubberz" as "very likely Treblo" with high confidence. This development adds to ongoing speculation about the song's origin and highlights the increasing capability of AI in music production.
The song "Rubberz" by Fenix Flexin, which reached number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100, is suspected by many of being largely or entirely AI-generated. This speculation arises from the song's stylistic departure from Flexin's previous work, audio anomalies, and AI detection results for its supporting materials. The situation highlights ongoing challenges in identifying AI-generated content in music and the evolving capabilities of AI in creative fields.